This invention relates generally to interconnecting building blocks that are connectible using only integral block features, and more specifically to a system of several types of interconnecting blocks that are adaptable and reconfigurable in order to allow flexible interconnection between multiple blocks.
Interconnecting blocks are well known in the toy industry. Lego and Mega Bloks provide two such examples of toy building blocks having integral features that provide for ready interconnection between blocks. A variety of interconnecting blocks are commercially available, and the majority of such blocks operate on the principal that a first block will have a projecting male feature, a second block will have a female feature, and the male feature of the first block will mate to the female feature of the second block to create a semi-permanent mechanical connection between the two. Generally, the mechanical connection will lock the blocks into relative positions with one another, and the blocks cannot be rearranged or re-oriented with respect to one-another without fully disconnecting the blocks and then reconnecting in the new desired configuration.
The basic form of this type of block generally provides male features on the top surface of a block and female features on the bottom surface of the block. The interconnection between male and female blocks is generally quantized, such that two given blocks are connectible in a finite number of configurations.
This general design concept has significant implications to the types of structures that can be constructed of these blocks. For example, if a regular rectangular vertical wall is built of basic Lego-type bricks, any bricks not at the periphery of the wall are fully locked into place and cannot be moved or removed without some degree of disassembly of the entire wall. Furthermore, a wall constructed in such a manner will not have interconnecting features on any faces other than the top and bottom faces. Therefore, it would not be possible to further interconnect additional blocks to the existing wall in any areas other than the top or bottom.
Specialized interconnecting blocks exist that have multiple faces with male or female interconnection features, but they are not the norm. Typically, significant planning is required to construct a desired structure out of interconnecting toy blocks because of the limited ways in which they can be connected and because of the difficulty of modifying a structure on an ad hoc basis.
In general, interconnecting building blocks are not reconfigurable, and a given block can only be connected to other blocks in the manners permitted by the existing permanent interconnection feature arrangement. If a given block is not suitable for a given situation or use, then a different, suitable block must be procured.
A need exists for an interconnecting block and interconnecting block system that will allow users to connect blocks in a much more flexible and unconstrained manner.